Messages

[pap64]

1501

TalkBack / RE:IMPRESSIONS: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

« on: May 25, 2006, 02:06:41 PM »

ShyGuy, the movie trailer analogy does not hold up because games too have trailers. A demo for a game is a unique phenomenon: though games on the whole are far longer than most films, a game is learned and understood in its first moments. A film unfolds and is understood over its entire length. A game communicates cinematically (read: artistically) throughout the course of play, but your interaction with it starts in a basic way and advances only incrementally until the end. During E3 we get a chance to see this basic start. Rather than judge level design, depth of gameplay, story, or artistic value during a demo, we have to judge the controls, the presentation, the premise, and the fun.

We, as much as any other press outlet or blog, were invited by Nintendo to judge its rough draft. What we saw were a bunch of errors (not bugs, but deliberate mistakes). We now post these opinions in the hopes that Nintendo sees them, and gamers become concerned. Journalism is about wading through PR bull and finding the truth, then communicating it to the public. Nintendo's "Playing is Believeing" mantra held up on almost every E3 demo, except for Zelda. If you don't care what we have to say, having played the game ourselves, why read us? If you're going to argue with us about a game you haven't played, use logic and reason, not "it was buggy." Notice, pap, that not a single person on PGC has said the game was buggy. Everyone said it felt finished, it felt complete, but some believe its inherent design was improperly executed.

Of course the controls can change in the future - we aren't judging the future, only the present. If the Zelda at E3 was released today, I wouldn't buy it. I'll definitely be reevaluating the game once Wii is launched.  

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
I've seen Twilight Princess videos from a lot of websites. I have a 6 minute video from IGN where the player plays a LInk, goes through the dungeon and fights the boss just fine. I didn't see any awkward moments in between gameplay and the only thing I noticed that felt weird was the fairy cursor flying around

The second time I played the demo I was able to finish it in under five minutes. I had gotten used to the controls. They were still problematic, mainly because of the physical limitations of the Wii Controller. We're not talking about Zelda being impossible to control; rather, it was no better (and in some ways worse) than playing on GameCube, which says nothing for Nintendo's supposed "Revolution" in game control.

1502

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Halogen lights confuse Wiimote

« on: May 25, 2006, 06:57:08 AM »

I can't say anything about Halogens, but I can mention what the Nintendo rep manning the Project H.A.M.M.E.R. booth said to me: before I even started the game, he pointed at a light above the demo (probably 30 feet up) that, according to him, was causing the game to malfunction. The Wii Remote cursor was apparently not supposed to jump all over the screen like it did when I played it. From what I gather, its never supposed to leave the screen, like in Zelda or Mario. In H.A.M.M.E.R. however, if I were to move the cursor off the left side of the screen it would suddenly appear again on the right side. The rep said no one in their homes would have this problem, but he was scrambling to prove to me that it was no big deal.

1503

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Elebits...coming soon to the Nintendo 64?

« on: May 25, 2006, 06:51:29 AM »

When that turkey has the exact same weight and resistance as the giant house outside, the fun starts to wear thin.

1504

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Is Galaxy the "real" new Mario?

« on: May 24, 2006, 07:28:51 PM »

Sorry IceCold: I posted the first draft of my post, then quickly edited it once I had my thoughts together. Reread it and that sentence is gone. =)

[cubist]

1505

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Is Galaxy the "real" new Mario?

« on: May 24, 2006, 07:12:52 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: cubist
the use of the pointer along with the Mario is bad ass

Actually, it wasn't. The worst part about the Super Mario Galaxy demo at E3 was the pointer. We only started to see it used well by the end of the demo: one of the paths led to these blobs of putty that you could pull back with the pointer, then release. Picking up shards with it was pointless.

The pointer in general raises a question that was discussed at E3 by the PGC staffers: who are you controlling in this game? With the joystick and A button, it seems like you're controlling Mario, but with the Wii Remote it feels like some observer (the player) is interfering. You are half-Mario, half-notMario, which makes for a very odd Mario feeling. I am not personally against this, and truthfully I think it's rather revolutionary, (we can start to see a dichotomy of perspectives and personas that the player must inhabit; see also Contact for the DS), but I'd rather see it in a new IP than in a Mario game. If they have a premise that makes this control scheme work in the Mario universe, then great. Just don't make me pick up shards or click on items to use them - no one wants to control Mario with a mouse.

From PGC's interview with Takashi Tezuka:

Quote
This was a show floor build. It was made condensing a bunch of little stuff to make it very easy for people to see what's incorporated in parts of the game. So rather than a specific hub—again, it's a show floor version of the game.

Also:

Quote
PGC: We've seen in the background of the game what looks like a very, very large planet way in the distance that it looks like maybe all of the smaller moons and planets are orbiting. Does that large planet play into the game at all?

TT: Please, I hope you look forward to finding that answer out.

The impression that our interviewers (Mike Sklens and Michael "TYP" Cole) got was that though the game will predominantly take place in space (not outer space, notice the planet very nearby) there is more to it than what we saw. Judging by the gameplay, Super Mario Galaxy doesn't look all that revolutionary. I felt like Sunshine was a lot like Super Mario 64, I had just about as much fun playing one as the other. This game will be a lot like both, with a new gravity twist.

Until we see more of the meat of the game, including the full premise, setting, and story, we won't know how "innovative" Nintendo is intending to be. The Mario games of the 3-D era, (as well as certain 2-D Marios), have been only half-revolutionary. Mario 64 is a landmine of revolution in one regard, but it was also instantly recognizable and classic. Mario Sunshine, I feel, did the same thing (in more gameplay specific ways) and Mario Galaxy will probably be similar. Some new, some old. Let's love that.  

1506

TalkBack / RE: Radio Free Nintendo - Episode 2

« on: May 24, 2006, 06:43:26 AM »

Fairly soon. Maybe in two episodes.

[The Podcast editors discuss the DS games of E3 with zero tact and plenty of idiocy.]

1507

TalkBack / Radio Free Nintendo - Episode 2

« on: May 23, 2006, 08:41:42 PM »

The Podcast editors discuss the DS games of E3 with zero tact and plenty of idiocy.

The PGC Podcast returns, much to the dismay of millions.    

   

Neat graphic, huh? Besides the new logo and name, we haven't really done much to improve this Podcast. So if you were looking for a jump in quality, go buy a PS3 or something.    

However, I should let you know that the AAC version of the podcast is enhanced. What this means is that those listening to the podcast on an iPod or through Apple's iTunes will be able skip between chapters of the program, much like scenes on a DVD, and will also see art associated with each chapter. Furthermore, iTunes listeners can click these images to read more about the topics online. Why we improved the incidentals of the Cast and not the content, however, is beyond me.    

Episode 2: Elite Unbeatable Agents    

AAC Format    

MP3 Format    

RFN is also available in a streaming format via Odeo    

powered by ODEO    

In this Cast we discuss our best experiences with the DS at E3. We weren't able to fit everything we wanted to say, but that's because there were a lot of freaking DS games. Games covered include The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Chibi-Robo Park Patrol, and Elite Beat Agents. We also take pause to discuss the available DS Lite colorings, as well as answer some viewer mail.    

Are you interested in subscribing to Radio Free Nintendo? Go to our Hub Page to get all the digs. Be warned, you will become a changed man. (Subscribing is therefore not recommended for ladies.)    

If you have any questions, complaints, complements, or criticisms please send them to our new podcast email address:    

   

Or just leave it in the TalkBack thread. We love to hear what you have to say, if only so we can make fun of you behind your back.

1508

TalkBack / RE: PGC E3 2006 Awards

« on: May 22, 2006, 08:29:52 PM »

Way to catch him in a lie, IceCold. (For shame.)

1509

TalkBack / RE: First Ever Planet GameCube Podcast

« on: May 22, 2006, 08:28:01 PM »

Hell, I'll pay you money to let me mail you my PS3 lanyard. These things have negative value.

1510

TalkBack / RE:First Ever Planet GameCube Podcast

« on: May 22, 2006, 08:10:15 PM »

Six hours? How dare you do something so kind!

1511

TalkBack / RE:First Ever Planet GameCube Podcast

« on: May 20, 2006, 12:48:15 AM »

Yeah, we really are discriminating against deaf people by not including a text version.

The first person to sign up to type out transcripts (mind you this is a weekly cast), I will pay 5$ a month. I'm not even kidding. You'll get paid more than I do to work here.

1512

TalkBack / RE: First Ever Planet GameCube Podcast

« on: May 17, 2006, 10:37:11 PM »

Both of those sound issues will be taken care of by next cast. Thanks for listening!

-Tarantino

[pap64]

1513

TalkBack / RE:IMPRESSIONS: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

« on: May 17, 2006, 10:20:56 PM »

In regard to Pap's post, which I will quote below: firstly you must know that Jonny is the person you were previously arguing with, and I am the one who wrote the impressions. We share the same opinion, but you were speaking to him as though he wrote the offending article - this needs to be clear, since I am hear to defend (somewhat) my position, rather than fall back on Jonny.

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
I'll use as an example. Writers do something called "rough drafts". What they do is write an early version of a poem, story or essay. It is there where they put their ideas, lay them all and write them as best as possible. The thing is that with the draft the writer sometimes goes back to it, changes some paragraphs, erases unnecesary ideas, asks for second opinions and such. Once he does all the changes he then writes the FINAL version of it.

Let us agree that the game is not finished. Your comparison to a rough draft is fair in some respects, but Zelda is the last game on the show floor (aside from maybe Metroid) that I would call rough. Either way, rough drafts are sent to publishers or peers to be edited - if your response to the rough draft was "it's no good, but I'll bet you'll get it right eventually," why even bother reading it? I played the game to criticise it, to find its flaws. There were some games I played at E3, Metroid on Wii, Chibi-Robo on DS, and more that I cannot fault in any way. The rough draft of those products look great. If someone hands me a bad rough draft, I'll take out my red pencil and mark it up.

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
This is the same deal with Twilight Princess Wii. The demo was to try out how people react to the controllers and see what needs to be fixed before the release.

And that is precisely why I posted my article. Why do I pass such a harsh judgement as "I will not buy this game?" Well, what I saw was not buggy, not incomplete. It felt like it was ready to ship, as though they had perfected their idea. The problem is that their idea is incomplete, a failure. I got to play it and try, and I disagree with the philosophy, not the quirks.

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
I won't doubt that the E3 DEMO had controller issues, but my qualm with your preview is that you are passing judgement on the game based on a quick E3 demo that is not even final or even running on final hardware.

This game is too far along to pass it off as "not final" or use the "dev kit" defense. This game looked sharp. From afar I wanted to play it bad. When holding the Wii Remote, I felt like I was playing Zelda through a glass darkly. Also, the phrase "controller issues" makes it sound like I disliked the button mapping and thought the movement was too jerky, or something else minor. My opinion goes far beyond that.

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
It would've been better if you had written this at the end of the preview:
"So overall, the E3 demo of Twilight Princess failed to wow us with the Wii controller. However, the game is far from final and may see changes before its release. Stay tuned for further previews as the game moves along".

I wouldn't have posted that because the game is so freaking close to final I could taste it. Here's what I did post:

"It also goes without saying that Nintendo has got way more up its sleeve for this game. With the promised length and dungeon count, there must be items that will use innovative controller features."

and this:

"Zelda: Twilight Princess looks to be a fantastic game, and no one should be without a copy when it comes out. However, Nintendo must allow the Wii version to be played with a GameCube controller as well as the Wii Remote, otherwise the risk to the hardcore gamer (this game's primary audience) will be too high. If Nintendo is open-minded enough to allow this option then those gamers on the fence can give it a chance without regretting their purchase."

I did not make it clear enough in the last sentence that "give it a chance" meant playing Zelda with a Wii controller. What I'm saying is that Zelda could work on Wii, but no one will take the risk if they're forced to give up the GameCube controller option. Based on what I played at E3, I don't want to take that risk; for someone who hasn't played it at all, you seem very willing to take it.

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
I know that they are still working the bugs out of the controller, the hardware and the games.

Once again, we're talking about something beyond bugs. This is an entire design philosophy. Nintendo specifically told us before the show started that playing was believing, and in a majority of the cases, they were correct. And hey, I'll go ahead and add coal to your fire: Zelda is an awful game to play at E3. The quick fix of WarioWare or the action platforming of Mario can be judged much quicker. That's why I went back on the third day to play Zelda again, just to make sure, and my opinion changed. At first I felt like the game controlled poorly, but after the second play I felt that it controlled in an adequate way that didn't work well with or take advantage of the Wii Remote, and didn't give me any extra control vs. a regular GC pad. (Every "bug" that I mention in my impressions is with the Wii Remote itself: sensitivity, nunchuk accelerometer, and D-Pad placement.)

Part of the reason for my opinion is that the game was built from the ground up for GameCube, and is being reworked for Wii rather than built from scratch. If Nintendo wanted to make Zelda with Wii controls an extra bonus for those who played the GC version in their Wii, that would be one thing; Nintendo has instead touted that this is the first time Zelda will launch with a system of theirs. Is it a big deal? Yeah. Should I be impressed? Yeah. Was I? No.

My final note is on journalism. I think it is very important to understand that I am a voice amongst a sea. I am somewhat in the minority on my Zelda opinion, but amongst the staff we were pretty much split down the middle. Tycho at Penny Arcade just commented on Zelda and had similar thoughts. I hope in one sense that my opinion is proved to be correct when you all get to play it, but as a gamer I hope that I am dead wrong, or that Nintendo will take great pains to improve it (which, as a fanboy, I believe will happen). If E3 really is a giant focus group, then they should listen to all voices, not just the congratulatory one. Otherwise, what's the point of sending the rough draft to anyone?

And why are you reading PGC? I would assume that you wanted to hear the news, whether it was good or bad. I don't think you wanted us to feed you recycled fanboy opinions. What I think you want, and what I think PGC does, is give a full spectrum of opinions from 20 some staffers. I am not the definitive voice on Zelda in the gaming world, or even on PGC, but I am the ultimate decision maker with my cash. As a journalist, I wanted to share with you, the reader, exactly how I felt, since I too am a gamer. If the only thing you walk away with is "Pfft, he's cracked, did you hear what he said about Shadow the Hedgehog?" then more power to you. But if my impressions have given you more caution about a very important moment in Nintendo gaming, then I have succeeded. I only want you to think - I don't want to think for you.

And Pap, I agree with you on one thing: upon rereading my impressions, I did not make clear enough that I am going to re-review the entire scenario when the game is released. I worded my impressions in a direct manner because the game was on a too high pedestal. I hope you can take the content of my message with you and throw away the tone when it is innappropriate.    

1514

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Brand New - PGC Podcast, Episode 1

« on: May 17, 2006, 06:37:51 AM »

Requiem: I don't know who you thought was Pale, but it was neither of us. The staff actually got him and I mixed up when we all first met at E3, which I find funny. But don't worry, we'd be stupid not to include Pale in future broadcasts.

MP3 format is something we're considering - I'd expect it by the next broadcast.

1515

Nintendo Gaming / Brand New - PGC Podcast, Episode 1

« on: May 16, 2006, 09:50:17 PM »

No one asked for it, but you got it: PGC has started a PodCast. It's roughly a half-hour show starring Mike Sklens (Striker Obi) and myself, Evan T. Burchfield (Svevan). We talk, talk, and talk some more, almost entirely about E3 and Wii.

Interested? Click here.

MP3 Version Now Available! Click Me!

This is our first attempt, and we had to overcome some major technical hurdles. We'll be improving sound quality with subsequent shows, and constantly refining format. For now it will be Mike and I, but expect guests from the staff and...elsewhere...to pop up often.

And we want to know what you think! Should we keep doing this? How often? What worked and what didn't? Did you like it? Feel free to engage in discussion in this thread, and also to e-mail us at podcast@planetgamecube.com. Be critical, but be nice; it was our first try.    

1516

Nintendo Gaming / RE:It's Happening: Phoenix Wright 2!

« on: May 16, 2006, 05:30:24 PM »

Just in case you didn't hear it somewhere else (I don't read other sites): in the screens for Phoenix Wright 2, it appears a woman named VonKarma is the new prosecuting attorney. Dollars to donuts says that's the daughter of the VonKarma in Episode 4 of Phoenix Wright 1.

[mantidor]

1517

TalkBack / RE:IMPRESSIONS: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

« on: May 15, 2006, 07:59:40 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: mantidor
Something I dont understand though is the D-pad/A button reachability, the remote is really small, you should be able to reach any button with your thumb easily, right?.

Surprisingly, no. Jonny mentioned this in his first Metroid impressions as well. Bloodworth luckily has long fingers, so he said he didn't have any problems in that regard.  

1518

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Elebits, what the fudgesicle?

« on: May 15, 2006, 07:53:07 PM »

Well, that trailer doesn't change my mind about what I played in the demo, but it does show that perhaps there's more to the concept than was visible in that 5 minutes. I'll definitely revisit the thing come launch, and I would love to hear what you have to say about it, Pale.

1519

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Which Wii Games Has Nintendo Already Sold You On?

« on: May 15, 2006, 07:37:47 PM »

Let me tell you this: I will run through the forums naked if Atlus doesn't release Trauma Center here. I think they're more excited than we are about it, frankly.

1520

TalkBack / RE: IMPRESSIONS: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

« on: May 15, 2006, 07:12:49 PM »

Good question, Requiem and AnyoneEB: Yes you can aim and move at the same time. Since you're holding the D-Pad to enter aiming mode, and moving the Wii-remote to aim, the control stick is free to move your character. This was actually fairly vital during the boss battle, and it is definitely a positive function of the Wii controls in Zelda.

1521

TalkBack / RE: IMPRESSIONS: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

« on: May 15, 2006, 10:50:36 AM »

That's an interesting point, Artimus, but I disagree with Peer's comparison. I warmed up to the three-day chronology of Majora instantly - it didn't effect the very core of the gameplay, just the game design. If anything, I hear people saying Majora should have been more like TOoT. However, Peer is very correct: this is an entirely new way to control Zelda. And I'm absolutely willing to try it on someone else's Wii before I decide not to buy it. It could be that it takes an hour to get used to.

I've seen people of all types pick up the N64 versions of Zelda and love them. Sadly, I don't think those same people will have access to Zelda on Wii (it's not for them, I guess).

[Coming in October for GC, DS, and GBA.]

1522

TalkBack / The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning Announced

« on: May 15, 2006, 10:39:35 AM »

Coming in October for GC, DS, and GBA.

SIERRA ENTERTAINMENT HITS THE RESET BUTTON ON THE SPYRO THE DRAGON® UNIVERSE THIS FALL WITH THE LEGEND OF SPYRO™ A NEW BEGINNING    

For the First Time Ever, Epic Story of Spyro’s Origin Revealed and Brought to Life Through A-list Hollywood Voice-Over Cast Starring Elijah Wood, David Spade and Gary Oldman    

LOS ANGELES - May 8, 2006 – Vivendi Games’ (“VG") Sierra Entertainment has announced the development of The Legend of Spyro™ A New Beginning, the latest installment to the 17 million-unit-selling Spyro® franchise, coming this Fall to the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game and entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo DS™. The completely new Spyro adventure, featuring gameplay focused heavily on dynamic action and fast-paced combat, uncovers the true origin of Spyro the Dragon as he evolves into a living, breathing weapon of explosive destruction! This epic story of Spyro’s quest to discover his roots and realize his destiny is amazingly brought to life by leading Hollywood voice-over cast members Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy) as the new voice of Spyro; David Spade (The Benchwarmers) as Spyro’s sidekick Sparx the dragonfly; and Gary Oldman (Sirius Black from the Harry Potter films) as Ignitus, the Fire Dragon Elder and Spyro’s mentor.    

In The Legend of Spyro A New Beginning, players will experience the awesome power of the purple dragon as they unleash devastating fury attacks, upgradeable breaths and ground-to-aerial melee combos in frenzied battles with hordes of menacing enemies and bone-chilling bosses. The action game also introduces a new dragon upgrade system, giving players the freedom to increase the power and variety of attacks to their liking. Developed by critically-acclaimed developers Krome Studios (console and Game Boy Advance) and Amaze Entertainment (Nintendo DS), The Legend of Spyro A New Beginning is scheduled to be released in October 2006.    

“For the first time ever, The Legend of Spyro A New Beginning will reveal the origin of one of the most popular video game characters of all time," said Cindy Cook, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer for Vivendi Games. “With an entirely new game design centered on action and combat, coupled with a deep storyline that comes to life through the tremendous talent of our voice-over actors, The Legend of Spyro A New Beginning will deliver an explosive and exciting cinematic gameplay experience that Spyro fans and gamers of all ages will love."    

The Legend of Spyro A New Beginning is scheduled to be available at retail in October 2006 for the PlayStation 2 system, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. For more information, please visit the game’s official website at www.spyrothedragon.com.

1523

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Which Wii Games Has Nintendo Already Sold You On?

« on: May 15, 2006, 09:56:58 AM »

For me, Wii Launch is Metroid and Trauma Center. Vincent, Jonny, and I spoke with Atlus at length regarding their plans, and that got me pumped.

1524

TalkBack / RE:PREVIEWS: Super Paper Mario

« on: May 15, 2006, 09:52:09 AM »

The people to ask on that are TYP and StrikerObi, since they got to interview Takashi Tezuka.

1525

Nintendo Gaming / RE: It's Happening: Phoenix Wright 2!

« on: May 15, 2006, 09:47:52 AM »

Word from Capcom is that the game will not feature an extra case like the original DS version did. However, that game was plenty long without that bonus, so I'm not concerned.